Bardhaman, often still called Burdwan, is a large plains city in central West Bengal, about two hours by train from Kolkata. It was once the seat of the powerful Bardhaman Raj family, and that princely past still gives the city its best sights: ceremonial gateways, palace grounds, old tanks, temple compounds, and a university campus inside the former Rajbati.
This is not a polished tourist town. The Grand Trunk Road runs through the middle of it, rickshaws and totos crowd the junctions, and the railway station is one of the busiest in the state. But Bardhaman rewards a day on foot or by rickshaw. Curzon Gate is the obvious landmark, while Golapbag and Krishnasayer Park give the city its greener, older rhythm.
The religious sights are strongest in the old quarters. Sarbamangala Temple is the city's main Shakta shrine, and Kankaleshwari Temple has the terracotta detail that makes Bengal temple architecture so distinctive. Come with modest expectations, a willingness to use cycle rickshaws, and enough time to linger around the tanks and temple courtyards.